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Lynn Davis has not strayed far from her major college interest: political science.

Think tank Rand Corp. has named Ms. Davis director of its D.C. office.

Ms. Davis, 62, has bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in political science.

She was vice president and director of the California nonprofit’s Arroyo Center, a federally funded research and development center that studied strategy, resources, logistics and training for the U.S. Army, from 1991 to 1993. The job involved overseeing research and projects for the Army.

Her current responsibilities, she says, are more involved.

“This [position] is sort of supporting the various activities in the Washington office,” she said. “We have researchers here, but this is also where we do our congressional and media outreach.”

While at Rand, Ms. Davis has published several research briefs related to the war on terror. One of them looks at how the public can create personal strategies to stay safe in the event of an attack.

“It could make a difference in whether you and I survive these types of attacks,” Ms. Davis said.

Ms. Davis also has worked as a political analyst for the secretary of defense, the National Security Council and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. She has held teaching positions at Georgetown and Columbia universities and the National War College.

Before she was named director, Ms. Davis was working as a researcher for Rand, doing public policy work for government agencies.

Before returning to Rand in 1997, Mrs. Davis worked for the State Department as undersecretary for arms control and international security affairs.

“I think what attracted me back to Rand is the consistent nonpartisan research on critical public policies,” she said.

Ms. Davis will be supervising as well as taking part in and leading some of the research.

She said some of the research looks at policies in the public eye.

“We now do research for a variety of domestic government agencies and also some at the state and local level and our largest unit is health research,” Ms. Davis said.

Ms. Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Duke University in 1965 and received her master’s and doctorate degrees in political science in 1967 and 1971 at Columbia University. She later taught political science there as an assistant professor.

Rand executives said Ms. Davis’ experience and knowledge in her field are reasons for her success.

“She has demonstrated outstanding leadership and led groundbreaking research for Rand’s clients,” Rand President James A. Thomson said.